William Henry Seward was an American politician and statesman who served as the United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869 under President Abraham Lincoln and later Andrew Johnson. He is best known for his role in the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, which was initially criticized but later recognized as a significant expansion of U.S. territory. Before his tenure as Secretary of State, Seward was the Governor of New York and a prominent figure in the Republican Party. He was an outspoken opponent of slavery and played a key role in the political landscape leading up to the Civil War. His efforts in diplomacy and foreign relations helped shape the United States during a transformative period.